Menadione-modified anodes for power enhancement in single chamber microbial fuel cells

Abstract

As anode fabrication with different materials has been proven to be a successful alternative for enhancing power generation in the microbial fuel cells, a new approach to improved performance of MFCs with the use of menadione/carbon powder composite-modified carbon cloth anode has been explored in this study. Menadione has formal potential to easily accept electrons from the outer membrane cytochromes of electroactive bacteria that can directly interact with the solid surface. Surface bound menadione was able to maintain an electrical wiring with the trans-membrane electron transfer pathways to facilitate extracellular electron transfer to the electrode. In a single chamber air cathode MFC inoculated with aerobic sludge, maximum power density of 1250 ± 35 mWm-2 was achieved, which was 25% higher than that of an unmodified anode. The observed high power density and improved coulomb efficiency of 61% were ascribed to the efficient electron shuttling via the immobilized menadione.